[okfn-za] Open Data on CO2 Emissions

Tue Apr 30 12:11:57 UTC 2013

Hi All

Sorry for the delayed response. As indicated there are not many sources where one can easily access information relating to CO2 emissions. I have however tried to provide some information that I have available without undertaking too much in depth research.

South Africa, as an emerging developing nation, is the largest CO2 emitter on the African continent, and the World Wildlife Fund South Africa recently stated in an article published in Mining Weekly during March 2013 that the countries GHG emissions are twice the global average per capita. In August 1997, South Africa joined the majority of countries in the international community in ratifying the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In terms of its obligations under the UNFCCC, South Africa are required to develop, update and publish national inventories of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases - the greenhouse gases exclude those listed in the Montreal Protocol.

In May 2009, the 'Greenhouse Gas Inventory South Africa for 1990 -2000' was published and according to this national inventory report, South Africa has published inventory reports in 1990, 1994 and 2000. Looking forward, South Africa will:

1.       "By 2012, develop, test and commission a web-based greenhouse gas emission monitoring and reporting system as part of the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory component of the South African Air Quality Information System.

2.       By 2013, require the mandatory submission of greenhouse gas emission data to the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory by all significant emitters and compilers of greenhouse gas emission related data and/or proxy data by 2013.

3.       From 2014 onwards, publish an annual report containing accurate, current and complete information on South Africa's greenhouse gas emission profile, including all significant sources, sinks and quantities of emissions, as well as information on historical and current emission trends."

Useful sites:

http://www.climateresponse.co.za.

http://www.erc.uct.ac.za/Information/Climate%20change/Climate_change_info-complete.pdf.

http://www.cdredd.org/sites/default/files/users/common/2011_workshop_mauritius/2011-03-07%20SA%20country%20report_GHGI-ALU.pdf

Please also see the National Inventory Report attached herewith.

Regards

Gillian

From: Justin Arenstein [mailto:justinarenstein at gmail.com]
Sent: 24 April 2013 05:13 PM
To: Jakes Rawlinson
Cc: Gillian Arenstein (Warburton); Rufus Pollock; OKFN-ZA List; Paul Murphy; Irina Radchenko
Subject: Re: [okfn-za] Open Data on CO2 Emissions

Yip, the RoD & mitigation plans attached to EIAs would be great material for hacktavists to create easy to use apps for ordinary citizens to check on compliance, to confirm their rights, & to lodge complaints / alerts where necessary.

I know that fracking is sexy & gets lots of media airplay, but EIAs are something that touch every single one of us -- we just aren't usually aware of EIA applications in our neighbourhoods, because they're buried in the classified & legal pgs of newspapers, & who reads those (not even most journos do). So, simple geo-synced mobile apps / SMS alerts that alert users when a new EIA is lodged in their neighbourhood, or lodged on thematic issues they're interested in (GM crops, etc) would allow citizens to build both geo-based group interest lobbys + thematic interest lobbys.

Justin Arenstein

SA Mobile: +27.82.374.0812
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On 24 April 2013 16:46, Jakes Rawlinson <brajakes at gmail.com<mailto:brajakes at gmail.com>> wrote:
Thanks a lot Justin. Let's hope Gillian can pull a proverbial rabbit or two out the hat! I agree with the EIAs and especially the non-compliance aspects with conditions under which the go ahead is given. The 'fracking' bit will need a lot of hard work to oppose if the grapevine stories are true?

Gillian if you have any pointers to data on CO2 emissions, it will be most appreciated.

Best,

Jakes

On 24 April 2013 16:07, Justin Arenstein <justinarenstein at gmail.com<mailto:justinarenstein at gmail.com>> wrote:
Hi guys.

This is gonna sound nepotistic, but my sister happens to be one of ZA's leading environmental lawyers with an special interest in carbon emissions & offsets, etc. She might have leads to additional sources of data, including something that has been a bug bear of mine for yonks: someone needs to start scraping & aggregating EIAs & related documentation on a public platform, with an idiot-proof API, for proper analysis & tracking.

I've copied Gillian above ... apologies in advance for the ambush, sis ;-).

Cheers,
Justin

Justin Arenstein

SA Mobile: +27.82.374.0812<tel:%2B27.82.374.0812>
US Mobile: +1.650.336.5878<tel:%2B1.650.336.5878>
Skype: JustinArenstein
Twitter: JustinArenstein<http://twitter.com/justinarenstein>
Web: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JustinArenstein

PGP Key Fingerprint: 8B19 3C53 2B40 453B F48D 9D7A 7346 A3AE DB88 30CD
Do you want to email me confidentially? See: http://bit.ly/VLJt1N

On 24 April 2013 09:58, Jakes Rawlinson <brajakes at gmail.com<mailto:brajakes at gmail.com>> wrote:
Hi Rufus,

The very same http://blog.okfn.org/2013/04/11/data-explorer-mission-on-carbon-data/

Thanks for the sources, but I'm hoping for Open Data sources from SA, which is probably dreaming a bit given the state of the Open Data movement here from what I can gather from the sideline. As you've noticed, apart from you, it is mainly Adi, Justin, Michelle and a couple of others who keeps this list going.

Please anybody else, any other sources of information will be most appreciated!

Have a splendid day,

Jakes

PS The adoption of the 'Protection of State Information Bill' ("Secrecy Bill") by MPs in parliament yesterday could mean...... no sensitive data, such as CO2 emissions?

On 23 April 2013 21:51, Rufus Pollock <rufus.pollock at okfn.org<mailto:rufus.pollock at okfn.org>> wrote:
Hi Jake,

I assume the Data Explorer Mission is:

http://blog.okfn.org/2013/04/11/data-explorer-mission-on-carbon-data/

Great you are looking for data. In terms of CO2 data in SA I'm am
pretty ignorant but a quick google brought me:

http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/emis/tre_saf.html

I also found:

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PC

Rufus

On 23 April 2013 18:36, Jakes Rawlinson <brajakes at gmail.com<mailto:brajakes at gmail.com>> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I followed Paul Murphy's advice and joined the 'Data Explorer Mission' to
> try and learn something more on Open Data. Being in Polokwane, I'm not
> exactly in the hub of where 'open' is happening. Here information is still
> seen and used mainly as a powerbase!
>
> This mail is to ask if anybody knows of any open data sources on CO2
> emission in SA? I will really appreciate it if I could be pointed in the
> right direction.
>
> Also, what is 'hackshackers-CT & -JHB'  and 'odadi' all about?
>
> Thanks again and thanks for all the good work.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Jakes Rawlinson
>
> Department of Public Health
> University of Limpopo
> Polokwane
>
> +27-82-410 9524<tel:%2B27-82-410%209524>
> +27-86-664 6262<tel:%2B27-86-664%206262> (Fax)
>
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